National chipping month

jsabina

I haven't seen a thread about that.. if exists.. sorry you can close :P

I've read that september is the Ireland's national chipping month.
There will be many initiatives to offer microchipping free of charge and also a competition.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/National-chipping-month/147214842124385

jago is microchipped, but maybe can be useful to spread the news!

boomerang

Trying to get confirmation at the moment that the free microchipping through vet practices in conjunction with Dogs Trust will be available for both dogs and cats... Getting conflicting answers on it it at the moment! Have fired off a few emails so will hopefully know for sure tomorrow.

meoklmrk91

boomerang wrote: »

Trying to get confirmation at the moment that the free microchipping through vet practices in conjunction with Dogs Trust will be available for both dogs and cats... Getting conflicting answers on it it at the moment! Have fired off a few emails so will hopefully know for sure tomorrow.

Dogs trust are doing free chipping for both dogs and cats in Limerick through selected vets anyway, saw one of the local rescues promoting it on the FB page.

brrabus

There has been a facebook page set up for this. It is available for both dogs and cats.

Facebook - National Chipping Month September 2013

boomerang

LOL that was me, meoklmrk91!

I read on the NCM facebook page that the free microchipping through Dogs Trust at certain vets is available for both dogs and cats. But then when someone phoned one of the Limerick vets today, she said it is for dogs only. I've contacted Dogs Trust and the NCM folks to clarify it.

muddypaws

I got very excited the other day when a courier turned up with a big padded envelope for me, turned out to be promotion stuff for this, posters, cards etc. Very disappointing, not sure whether to put the posters up in the kitchen, living room or hallway.

DBB

muddypaws wrote: »

I got very excited the other day when a courier turned up with a big padded envelope for me, turned out to be promotion stuff for this, posters, cards etc. Very disappointing, not sure whether to put the posters up in the kitchen, living room or hallway.

Lol, me too :-D
My vet said she'd take them to bulk out the stuff she got!

muddypaws

DBB wrote: »

Lol, me too :-D
My vet said she'd take them to bulk out the stuff she got!

I tried that with my vet, but they said they have enough. Hopefully I can find someone who can make use of them.

brrabus

Current list of participating vets.

National Chipping Month - Vet List

Some you will note are only offering free registration checks and some are applying a small charge.

boomerang

One clinic local to me opted not to make use of Dogs Trust's offer to provide free of charge chipping. Instead they are listed as providing microchipping for €20. The meanies! Sure even the most expensive vets in town have brought their charge for microchipping down to €20! So this crowd get free publicity and will profit from the campaign. That sucks!

meoklmrk91

boomerang wrote: »

One clinic local to me opted not to make use of Dogs Trust's offer to provide free of charge chipping. Instead they are listed as providing microchipping for €20. The meanies! Sure even the most expensive vets in town have brought their charge for microchipping down to €20! So this crowd get free publicity and will profit from the campaign. That sucks!

Very disappointing to see how many around the country are doing that, I wouldn't be giving them my custom after that anyway, luckily they are in the minority. Great that they are providing chipping for cats, I have one of mine still to do and being broke at the moment now is the perfect time.

boomerang

Still not convinced cats are included in the campaign - will update as soon as I know for sure.

I've heard the vets have only been given ten microchipping vouchers each from Dogs Trust so anyone interested needs to act fast. ;-)

anniehoo

boomerang wrote: »

Still not convinced cats are included in the campaign - will update as soon as I know for sure.

Me either. Will do research this week as it is called "pet chipping" after all.Info is a bit all over the place.

Need to get Eddie done

boomerang

Cats not included in the Dogs Trust chipping campaign operating through vet practices:


Thank you for your email. As part of National Chipping Month we are
running our own campaign working with certain vets nationwide to offer
free microchipping for dogs.

However, for the month of September other vets will be offering
discounted rates for microchipping which would includes cats.

So to answer your question, yes cats will be included in the discounted
microchipping, however not by vets that are part of our scheme.

I hope this is clear enough, if you have any further questions please
don't hesitate to ask.

Best wishes,
Sarah

Sarah Moorhead
Dogs Trust

Pumpkinseeds

The cats are being left out again, typical of this country's lack of interest in/compassion for cats:rolleyes:

boomerang

Ah well in fairness I wouldn't necessarily expect Dogs Trust to include cats in their chipping campaign - it's not within their remit.

I know how you feel, though. And it's a crying shame that the only organisation offering free nationwide neutering/chipping is an international one. Okay granted I know that's partly because they operate on such a huge scale that they have the resources to do it and most Irish groups wouldn't have access to that kind of moolah. You'd love to see something coming from local or national government to help. Dare I say it, it might be even more effective than divvying out the €1m Dept. of Agriculture grant aid across so many rescue groups. Mostly we're picking up the pieces instead of stemming the problem at source.

Pumpkinseeds

I agree, it's just very frustrating to see that there isn't a scheme for cats. As I'm sure you're only too aware, there are a lot of people out there struggling to feed cats and a bit of help from the government with something as practical as reduced cost spaying/neutering for example, would go a long way. From what I've seen it's often the people who can least afford it who give the most, whilst many who could afford to help turn a blind eye:(

My 3 are microchipped, I wouldn't be without it not tbh.

boomerang

In my own experience TP, there is a sizable minority of pet owners who simply will not neuter, regardless of their income, unless they get it for free. There is a very entrenched mentality that pet-ownership is a right, but that they shouldn't have to pay.

The DT €20 neutering scheme is completely blaggarded. In my own direct experience, the majority of people availing of the scheme can afford to pay, but don't want to. If they're in receipt of a social welfare payment, they're putting a friend or relative's details on the form who is. Many of the dogs being neutered under the DT scheme are pedigree dogs that the owners saw fit to spend hundreds of euro on the purchase price, but baulk at spending money on veterinary care if there's a way around it. There's a complete disconnect that it's an animal charity that is covering the cost of neutering their dog.

I honestly believe for that the main, DT are wasting their resources on the €20 neutering scheme. It's not reaching the people who genuinely need it. Clients of the practice are holding out to spay/neuter out until the vouchers come out, so that by the time February rolls around and members of the public start enquiring, the vouchers are nearly all already spoken for. It drives me demented.

aonb

Got this text from MAXI ZOO today:

"Your pet may be microchipped but is it registered correctly? FIDO.IE & MAXIZOO are offering a free "check your chip" service. See MAXIZOO.IE"

...not much point in having your dog/cat chipped, if you dont have it registered or the info on the chip is out of date...

meoklmrk91

boomerang wrote: »

In my own experience TP, there is a sizable minority of pet owners who simply will not neuter, regardless of their income, unless they get it for free. There is a very entrenched mentality that pet-ownership is a right, but that they shouldn't have to pay.

The DT €20 neutering scheme is completely blaggarded. In my own direct experience, the majority of people availing of the scheme can afford to pay, but don't want to. If they're in receipt of a social welfare payment, they're putting a friend or relative's details on the form who is. Many of the dogs being neutered under the DT scheme are pedigree dogs that the owners saw fit to spend hundreds of euro on the purchase price, but baulk at spending money on veterinary care if there's a way around it. There's a complete disconnect that it's an animal charity that is covering the cost of neutering their dog.

I honestly believe for that the main, DT are wasting their resources on the €20 neutering scheme. It's not reaching the people who genuinely need it. Clients of the practice are holding out to spay/neuter out until the vouchers come out, so that by the time February rolls around and members of the public start enquiring, the vouchers are nearly all already spoken for. It drives me demented.

Completely agree with this, one of my neighbours asked me about dogs trust vouchers, I told her they were for people on social welfare, she went ahead and got her fathers pension book to get her 2 dogs neutered. This is someone who buys a new car every year, kids wear designer clothes, have every latest gadget and built a massive extension onto their house a couple of years ago. This person stole from a charity and that's exactly what I consider it to be, stealing. Nevermind I that I am on social welfare and paid the full price for all my animals to be neutered because I didn't feel right because with some careful planning and saving I could afford it.

boomerang

My own vet is super strict on who she gives the vouchers to and if she suspects someone's sent in their relative with the dog because that relative is on social welfare, it makes her really cross.

I'd say she is the only vet in our county that still has a few vouchers left for this year. Thanks to her scrupulousness, it means the little dog my neighbour just rescued from being put to sleep will be neutered (and microchipped) thanks to Dogs Trust. That's proper use of their resources - someone who's heart is in the right place but who doesn't have the means to pay full-price for necessary vet care.

meoklmrk91

boomerang wrote: »

My own vet is super strict on who she gives the vouchers to and if she suspects someone's sent in their relative with the dog because that relative is on social welfare, it makes her really cross.

I'd say she is the only vet in our county that still has a few vouchers left for this year. Thanks to her scrupulousness, it means the little dog my neighbour just rescued from being put to sleep will be neutered (and microchipped) thanks to Dogs Trust. That's proper use of their resources - someone who's heart is in the right place but who doesn't have the means to pay full-price for necessary vet care.

She is right too, I wish more vets were like it, people wouldn't go and steal from the poor box on the counter of a shop, why they think its okay to do this when its tantamount to it is beyond me. On another note I was fostering for a rescue who asked me to look around and see if I could find a vet with vouchers and pretend the dog I was fostering was my own to get him neutered. Needless to say I said no and have never fostered for that rescue again.

DBB

boomerang wrote: »

My own vet is super strict on who she gives the vouchers to and if she suspects someone's sent in their relative with the dog because that relative is on social welfare, it makes her really cross.

Jayney!:eek:
My vet was doing the same thing, only allowing the most genuine cases who really needed the help to get their dog neutered... and she got a ticking off by Dogs Trust for doing it! She was told she is not allowed to cherry pick like this!

On another note I was fostering for a rescue who asked me to look around and see if I could find a vet with vouchers and pretend the dog I was fostering was my own to get him neutered. Needless to say I said no and have never fostered for that rescue again.

Hmm, I may get shot for saying this, but there was a time a few years ago that rescues were actually encouraged to do this by DT, it was their way of helping rescue dogs "unofficially" and it was very welcomed by the many rescue groups who availed of it. They stopped this largesse around the time the new centre in Dublin was built, but I'm not too surprised to hear that some rescues are still trying to make this system work for them. I'm not excusing it now, don't get me wrong, but this might just explain where this behaviour came from!

meoklmrk91

DBB wrote: »

Jayney!:eek:
My vet was doing the same thing, only allowing the most genuine cases who really needed the help to get their dog neutered... and she got a ticking off by Dogs Trust for doing it! She was told she is not allowed to cherry pick like this!




Hmm, I may get shot for saying this, but there was a time a few years ago that rescues were actually encouraged to do this by DT, it was their way of helping rescue dogs "unofficially" and it was very welcomed by the many rescue groups who availed of it. They stopped this largesse around the time the new centre in Dublin was built, but I'm not too surprised to hear that some rescues are still trying to make this system work for them. I'm not excusing it now, don't get me wrong, but this might just explain where this behaviour came from!

I never knew that DBB, I understand that rescues are going through a really tough time at the moment, the money just isn't there, I know that the more dogs that are nuetered the better but I just wasn't personally going to be complicit in something that I felt was underhanded.

anniehoo

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

On another note I was fostering for a rescue who asked me to look around and see if I could find a vet with vouchers and pretend the dog I was fostering was my own to get him neutered. Needless to say I said no and have never fostered for that rescue again.

I actually don't have any issue with this whatsoever. Rescues struggle enough to get funds at the best of times so If they can get low cost neutering, for the benefit of the dog and save a few quid themselves then go for it. I agree it's not a legit way of going about it, but I still don't have a problem with it.

Shelli2

Was told on the phone today that each vet has only been given 10 free chips to give out, first come first served. Was lucky to get a spot for my pup in my local in Glasnevin. They are not doing cats on the free scheme, but half price for the month of September. Was quoted €44 for the three cats I currently have. Will definitely be availing of it in the next week or so.

Does anyone know if there is a scheme for neutering cats cheaply? I took a cat from a neighbour moving abroad on the condition it was neutered (I already have 1 male and 1 female kitten), but it turned out it wasn't and had a litter soon after I took it. This is the second time this has happened to me!!!!
They have all been re-homed but I want her neutered ASAP.

Tranceypoo

boomerang wrote: »

In my own experience TP, there is a sizable minority of pet owners who simply will not neuter, regardless of their income, unless they get it for free. There is a very entrenched mentality that pet-ownership is a right, but that they shouldn't have to pay.

The DT €20 neutering scheme is completely blaggarded. In my own direct experience, the majority of people availing of the scheme can afford to pay, but don't want to. If they're in receipt of a social welfare payment, they're putting a friend or relative's details on the form who is. Many of the dogs being neutered under the DT scheme are pedigree dogs that the owners saw fit to spend hundreds of euro on the purchase price, but baulk at spending money on veterinary care if there's a way around it. There's a complete disconnect that it's an animal charity that is covering the cost of neutering their dog.

I honestly believe for that the main, DT are wasting their resources on the €20 neutering scheme. It's not reaching the people who genuinely need it. Clients of the practice are holding out to spay/neuter out until the vouchers come out, so that by the time February rolls around and members of the public start enquiring, the vouchers are nearly all already spoken for. It drives me demented.

Totally agree with this. My mother-in-law is a case in point. I won't start ranting or I won't stop.